(COLUMBIA, SC) – Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP has named William R. Thomas as the new Managing Partner of the Firm’s Columbia office. Mr. Thomas will succeed Ron Tryon, who held the post for more than eight years.

"I am pleased to step into my new role as managing partner of the Columbia office," said Mr. Thomas. "There are many exciting things happening at Parker Poe in terms of growth and expansion of practice areas, and I’m proud to be a part of this team."

Mr. Thomas has been with Parker Poe since 2006 and practices health care law. He is a former president of the Richland County Bar Association. In 2002, he served a judicial clerkship with the United States District Judge, Terry L. Wooten, for the District of South Carolina.

Prior to attending law school, Mr. Thomas worked at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in hospital operations where, among other things, he developed and drafted Certificate of Need applications for medical center capital projects and bed and service additions. He was an articles editor for the ABA Real Property, Probate and Trust Journal and received CALI Awards for his course work in Antitrust and Business Crimes while in law school.

Mr. Thomas earned his BA at Washington and Lee University, his MHA at MUSC and his JD from the University of South Carolina, where he graduated cum laude.

About Parker Poe
Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP has more than 200 lawyers in five offices located in major markets across North Carolina and South Carolina. The Firm provides legal counsel to large commercial and public organizations on litigation, corporate and regulatory matters. It has been recognized in recent years as one of the fastest growing law firms in the United States and as an award-winning leader in the use of technology to provide better and more efficient service to domestic and international clients. For more information, please visit www.parkerpoe.com.